Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with siliconvalley

Crime victim (auto break-in) seeks advice (lost SSN, where to repair in SV)

Rash — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:03:37 -0800

Victim of auto break-in in Silicon Valley seeks advice about a) compromise of my SSN (Social Security Number) and b) reputable, affordable and speedy window-glass replacement for an old Toyota. A thief just stole my briefcase, getting no laptop (hah!) but only a bunch of paperwork for my classes (I'm a teacher).

a) Among that paperwork are timesheets with my SSN plainly labeled at the top. Should I be worried? What can/should I do about this besides checking my credit report ASAP (ie every four months?

b) 1991 Tercel; I have a trusted local mechanic but they don't do windows. Do I just bend over and submit to the dealer for a vehicle of this vintage, as any local shop will just be ordering the glass from them anyway? Or maybe you know a good place -- I'm in Sunnyvale. Thanks!

PS: Maybe I should just get the window myself, via car-part.com. I do have experience, but not on a Toyota - that was putting one-piece windows into an old VW beetle and I don't have any special Toyota tools.

Silicon Valley Girl

bread-eater — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:13:16 -0800

San Jose/Silicon valley recommendations for spas *or* veggie restaurants for getting a gift certificate. Please help me! I am trying to get a gift certificate for a friend leaving the east coast to work in Santa Clara. She's vegetarian and from India, so one idea was to get a gift certificate at an Indian restaurant (don't worry, she won't find it offensive). I'm having trouble figuring out which ones are actually good. And it would have to be one that actually bothers to do gift certificates (by mail, no less).

An alternative is to get her a spa gift certificate. Any recommendations for spas with good service? We want it to be a treat!

Other information: She'll be working in industry research, is generally proud of her nerdiness, is really really looking forward to the good weather but isn't a particularly outdoorsy person.

I would really appreciate any recommendations for Indian restaurants or spas or any other things that you can think of for me! Thanks!

Foood

troy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:44:16 -0800

Restaurants in the South Bay? My car's in the shop this weekend, the weather is awesome, the BBQ FPP has got my taste buds flowing, can somebody point me to an awesome restaurant serving tasty casual food in the South Bay (M.V. to Santa Clara) that I can bike to this weekend?

Difficulty: I've lived here 8 years so know about Marie Elenas, Su's, Clarke's (meh); My go-to place is probably going to be the Kabob and Curry's buffet -- can you beat that?

Where are the hip places to live in the South Bay?

the_bone — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:42:12 -0800

Possibly moving to the Silicon Valley region... any suggestions on a place to live that meets the following criteria? I've interviewed for jobs in San Jose, Saratoga, and San Francisco. I've been to SF several times, and between having friends who live there and the ubiquity of craigslist I think I have a good handle on where I may live if I end up taking that gig. But I'm far less familiar with San Jose.

I live in LA at the moment, in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake region (for those familiar with LA), and I freaking love it. Best neighborhood ever... walking distance to stores/bars/cafes, a cool community, kind of a hipster vibe. I'd like to duplicate that if at all possible, and in my short time visiting SJ I didn't really see anyplace like that. I'm openly queer and definitely have a more alternative lifestyle, and would probably be very happy in SF, but if I take a South Bay job living in San Francisco probably isn't feasible. Additionally, my partner is writing a dissertation and probably won't work full-time, and her preference is to live someplace that is somewhat walkable/public transport friendly as a result. My surroundings are just as important to me as the job I eventually take, if not moreso.

So, are there any South Bay neighborhoods that are hip, queerish and/or pedestrian-friendly? "No, you should consider San Francisco instead" is a totally acceptable answer, and I am already doing so.

East meets West...

backseatpilot — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:23:18 -0800

Last minute San Francisco/Silicon Valley travel advice... I'm going to be in Santa Clara for business next week, and I'd really like to take in some scenery and touristy stuff but I'm worried about the feasibility of it. I arrive in San Francisco about noon on Monday (the 14th) and leave about 1:30 pm Thursday, and my work commitment is during the day Tuesday and Wednesday. I'd really like to spend my free time Monday and Thursday in San Francisco, so here are my questions:

-What do I do about my rental car? Pick it up, drive into SF, and then drive to Santa Clara in the evening? Or take public transport into the city, and then back to the airport to get the car in the evening? I have it reserved at noon, will they hold it for me until the evening?
-What are some good things to do in San Francisco for a few hours in the morning or a few hours in the afternoon/evening?
-Is there anything to see in Santa Clara in the evenings? Any good places to eat?

I must confess I'm embarrassingly ignorant of the West Coast, so any general insider advice would be appreciated.

Is Palo Alto really this boring?

crinklebat — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:25:29 -0800

What the heck do Stanford students do for fun? Other than homework. I'm a recent graduate from UCSD (lovingly nicknamed UC Socially Dead; this is a glimpse into how low my standards are) and I now live a couple of blocks from Stanford. I'm busy busy since I work full time and am also a grad student, but every once in a while I have a free night...and have no idea what to do.

I pick up the Daily and all the events are public lectures and other academically edifying things, or some vast multitude of sports. What is there to do for someone who wants to unwind with some live music, or watch avant-garde films, or something else that many college students like? If UCSD generally had at least one vaguely listenable band there a week, I can't believe Stanford doesn't. But where are they listed? Do students actually get in their cars/trains and go to the city to get their private-schooly grooves on??

NB: I have heard about Old Pro, Blue Chalk Cafe, and F&A's (I have never been to any of them when there was a band playing; I have judged the DJing unremarkable, but feel free to correct me). I also go to the Stanford Theatre and the Aquarius all the time. But I mean, this is like the nightlife of the San Fernando Valley. There's got to be something to do that I haven't heard about.

I figure there must be enough Stanford students/grads/area-youth-at-heart that I can get a little better grip on the resources available to a young woman looking for a decent night out. Other things in the area that you love are welcome too - good restaurants, chill parks, etc. I'm a few blocks off University and walk everywhere.

Where do I find first-generation tech immigrants?

hobbes — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:54:53 -0800

Looking to do a story on first-generation South/Asian immigrants in the South Bay area. Where do I start? I'm a better photographer than a journalist, so I'm clueless as to where to start on this project.

My coworker came to this country working for a tech-company back in '96 with pretty much nothing more than $100 and a month's free rent. I'd like to meet up with people who are in similar situations, but in 2007.

Where would I start? I've asked my coworker if he knew of people, but considering he's been in the country for 11 years, he's pretty well assimilated, so that's probably a dead end.

Another issue is the approach. It'd be nice to have someone introduce me to them vs. me cold-calling them. I ride the BART from Fremont in the mornings, and there's a ton of immigrants there, but they don't seem approachable.

What's going on in San Jose this week? How 'bout the week after?

TwoWordReview — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:00:55 -0800

Looking for an event guide for San Jose! I'm looking for a good online listings for the San Jose/Silicon Valley area and I guess the bay area in general. I've just moved here and since I'm a pretty big music, movies and arts fan, I'm trying to find a guide that lets me know in a nice direct way what's going on this week, where the good gigs are and also what people are listening to/watching etc. Back in Dublin I'd use The Ticket as my event guide so I guess I'm looking for something similar! Much thanks.

What the heck do young people in Silicon Valley do after work?

I like to eat meat — Thu, 31 May 2007 11:30:53 -0800

What's a good place to live for someone young and working in Santa Clara? I'm thinking about taking a job in Santa Clara, kinda by the Great America where all the tech companies are. From what I've seen, the nearby area seems to lack any kind of stuff to do after work. Are there any cool nearby areas to live with lots of other young people, restaurants, and bars? Where do the early 20's tech workers go when they're not coding?

I'm not expecting San Francisco or New York style nightlife, but what would the closest thing be? Best place to live if I plan on working there?

Why can't I get a hotel room in Silicon Valley on December 6?

aaronh — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:45:24 -0800

Why is nearly every hotel on the peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose fully booked for December 6 and ONLY December 6? I am supposed to attend a small Christmas party in Belmont, CA on December 6th. I live in San Jose and was looking to get a room in the area so I wouldn't have to worry about driving back that night.

I started looking around over the weekend and everything was either twice its normal rate or fully booked. It is so strange. I googled like crazy and there is no conference in town I can find, no Apple event, no Stanford graduation, etc. I've called and asked the hotels and they don't know why they are booked up that night.

Hotels in SF and in San Jose have availability and are charging their normal rates (not that it helps me, I was just trying to see how widespread this was).

There are some rooms available in cheap-o places, but that's about it. I've pretty much given up finding a place (unless someone here has an in at an inn). I'm now just really curious if anyone knows what's going on in Silicon Valley in the middle of next week.

Anyone here in the know?

The land of high expectations.

zhivota — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 16:38:23 -0800

What is it like to live and/or work in the Silicon Valley? I am a student in computer science who is building up a pretty decent resume lately. Of course I know about this mystical, magical place called Silicon Valley.

What I want to know is this: What are the good and bad things about living/working in the SV, from your perspective? I am asking this in a modern sense, so replies about living there 20 years ago are likely to be severely outdated.

What do you do with your free time? Do you do outdoor activities like hiking, camping, biking, swimming, etc. Are you an amateur athlete, and how does that go? Do you like the nightlife in the SV or do you go to SF for that? Do you live in SF because it's better, for that matter?

How does the SV compare to the places you have previously lived, in terms of not just cost but quality of life? Are there good book stores and coffee shops, or is it a desolate wasteland if you don't want to be working 16 hours a day?

Answers to any and all of these questions will be appreciated, and please don't exclude something because I didn't explicity ask about it.

Silicon Valley business blogs?

nyterrant — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:43:41 -0800

What are the best blogs to read that cover the *business* of Silicon Valley? I read SiliconValleyWatcher, but I want to expand my horizons. I'm interested in the business side - takeovers, business strategy, up-and-coming markets, etc. - more than the tech side, but a little bit of the tech isn't bad. Suggestions?

Car insurance in the Bay Area?

symphonik — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:02:50 -0800

BayAreaInsuranceFilter: What's the best and most reasonably-priced Bay Area insurer? I am moving to the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically the Silicon Valley) permanently next month and will need to get new car insurance as I migrate off my parents'. I got quotes from a couple of the big dogs (Progressive and Geico, the latter being cheaper), but would like to know people's experiences in the Bay Area with both of those companies as well as any others -- as well as the kind of insurance coverage you find necessary out there. I'm aware California probably has many more uninsured motorists than other places (a fair if un-PC assumption), but probably has less in the way of the acts-of-God kind of damage (hail, rock chips) that I'm used to here in the mountains.

I am 24, have only one accident (not my fault) on my record, and none in the last five years. I did recently get cited for running a red light, though. Also, my new job has pretty significant medical coverage, is it worth buying more along with my car insurance?

Any assistance/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Interviewing in Silicon Valley - what to expect?

superboy422 — Sun, 05 Jun 2005 01:44:41 -0800

So I'm going to be interviewing with a major Internet company in California sometime within the next few weeks, and I'm excited, but also scared to death. I've heard that several of the "big name" companies have very rigorous interviewing processes, and I've done a ton of Googling on the subject, but only seem to find information relevant to interviewing at Microsoft (which I'm not). Certainly some of you have who read MeFi have been through this a few times. What should I expect? How can I best prepare? HELP! A few extra bits of information: This is a relocation position (I currently live on the east coast) and I was called because a friend of mine forwarded my resume. I've never had anyone fly me anywhere for an interview before, but I would hope that means that based on what they've seen of my work and me resume that they might actually be interested (since they're incurring cost to interview me in person). I just have to bolster enough confidence in myself to do well, so any tips would make things much easier. Thanks all! :)